Staand paard naar rechts 1828

This is Johannes Mock’s etching, ‘Standing Horse Facing Right.’ It was made in 1828. During the 19th century, the Netherlands was undergoing significant social and economic changes. The role of animals, particularly horses, was changing too. They were essential for agriculture, transportation and military operations. As such, they became potent symbols of power, labor, and even national identity. Mock's choice to depict the horse through the precise medium of etching suggests a desire to capture not just its physical form, but perhaps to ennoble its social role. Consider how the horse is deliberately placed in the center, its strong stance and detailed musculature presenting an animal of dignity and strength. What feelings does the image evoke in you? Does it speak to our complex relationship with the natural world? Or perhaps, does it remind us of the laboring bodies, both human and animal, that have shaped our world?